Zelensky guarded on Tomahawk Missile Talks

BBC reports

• Zelensky suggests Ukraine could provide drones to the US in exchange for long-range Tomahawk missiles, during talks with Trump at the White House
• The Ukrainian president congratulates Trump on the Gaza ceasefire deal, and tells him: “I think we can end this war with your help”
• Trump warns that giving Ukraine Tomahawk missiles “could mean bigger escalation” and that “a lot of bad things can happen”
• The US president earlier signaled he might be willing to give Tomahawks to Ukraine, but after speaking to Vladimir Putin yesterday said: “We need them too… so I don’t know what we can do about that”
• Trump and Putin agreed to meet in Hungary during their phone call, with fresh talks between the leaders’ advisers planned for as early as next week

An afternoon at the White House – what happened?

No formal announcements or breakthroughs came from US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting in Washington on Friday, but the two leaders spent their afternoon discussing US military aid to Ukraine, ceasefire potentials, security guarantees and whether Ukraine will get to regain its lost territory, Zelensky said.

Here’s what else they talked about:

• The mood seemed in the cabinet room of the White House, where Trump and Zelensky met was a marked departure from their tense meeting in the Oval Office back in February
• Zelensky appealed for Tomahawk missiles from the US and appeared to suggest a weapons trade in which Ukraine could send the US drones in exchange. Trump said he would discuss the matter, but added that introducing Tomahawks to Ukraine could represent a major escalation, and that the US needs those weapons too. Ultimately, the meeting ended with no movement on the issue, Zelensky explained
• At a news conference after the presidents’ meeting, Zelensky characterised his private talks with Trump as productive, and said that he trusts Trump’s desire to end the war in Ukraine. He added that discussions on territory concessions are “sensitive” and “difficult,” with Russia wanting to keep all its territory gains in the event of a ceasefire
• Zelensky also appealed for US security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire, noting that Trump is the only world leader in direct communication with Putin
• Talks on the war will continue after today, with an upcoming summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, though Trump said it is unlikely that a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky would happen anytime soon